Vision Automotive buys Hastings Buick GMC

Vision Automotive Group has purchased Bob Hastings Buick GMC. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Vision co-owner Daniel Edwards said he plans to retain Bob Hastings’ 44 employees. Tim Pierce, who previously served as sales manager for Bob Hastings, has been promoted to general manager of the Panorama Trail facility in Penfield.

Edwards had approached Bob Hastings owner David Stoetzel about buying the dealership’s vacant Saturn building to house Vision’s growing Kia franchise.

“When we got talking about the longevity of his people, it’s just excellent customer satisfaction,” Edwards said. “I thought that would really be a nice fit for our group because we’ve never had General Motors within our portfolio of stores.”

Vision has topped the RBJ list of Auto Dealers—ranked by the number of vehicles sold—for two years. The dealership sold more than 9,600 new and used vehicles in 2011, the 2012 list shows, and posted more than $185 million in retail sales.

Vision employs more than 400 people at its seven Rochester locations.

In 1995, Edwards and two partners in Buffalo, as part of PJD Automotive LLC, opened Empire Ford Inc. in Webster. In 1998 Ford Investment Enterprises Co., a subsidiary of Ford Motor Co., purchased Empire Ford and Edwards returned to Buffalo to open Walden Dodge.

In 1999 PJD opened Nissan of Webster and the following year merged the Nissan store with Dick Ide Dodge and Dick Ide Hyundai. The stores collectively became known as Vision Automotive Group in 2000 under the Edwards’ direction.

In December 2012 Edwards sold his ownership in six Buffalo dealerships to his partners and bought out Vision’s seven Rochester stores. The company offers Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, RAM and Ford, as well as the two new franchises.

Edwards expects to expand the Kia franchise and move it to the Bob Hastings Saturn building.